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The first presence of the British Royal Navy in the Persian Gulf came about from the need to control pirates raiding the British Empire ships east of Suez, especially the East India Company routes to India when it established a Persian Gulf Station. In the early 1820s the rulers of Bahrain, Salman and Abdullah Al Khalifa, signed an agreement to try to limit piracy in the area. This was strengthened in 1835 through an agreement signed specifically with the Royal Navy, which addressed the need to stop pirates operating in the area, and limit the slave trade. In 1902 the first oil was discovered in the area, but commercial extraction did not begin until 1925 when Frank Holmes was given the first license, with the first oil not exported from Bahrain until 1932.[1]

After the death of Sheikh Isa in 1932, having handed control of the state in 1921 under British diplomatic pressure to his son Hamad, his advisor Charles Belgrave with whom he had modernised the state systems and key infrastructure, suggested that they should come to an agreement with the British to open a permanent Royal Navy base within the state. HMS Jufair opened on 13 April 1935, as part of the port at Mina Salman. It was bombed by the Italian Air Force during World War II, as part of an Axis Forces effort to cut-off one of the three Allied Forces sources of oil in the Persian Gulf.

As a result of the raid, and the United States entry into World War II from December 1941, the Royal Navy extended an invitation to the US Navy, allowing the USN to deploy a small detachment. Post-WW2, the posting was recognized as the U.S. Middle East Force from 1948, a small shore facility that provided logistical and communications support to Marine Expeditionary vessels.

In 1971, with Bahrain gaining independence from the British Empire, the permanent Royal Navy presence in Bahrain officially ended. With agreement of the Emir, the USN immediately took on the entire 10 acres (40,000 m2) site, and eight years later the location was named Administrative Support Unit (ASU) Bahrain. In an effort to more accurately reflect the increasing role of United States Navy activities in the region, the organization was renamed Administrative Support Unit Southwest Asia in 1992.

In 1997, under the aegis of the Military Construction Program, facilities located in Juffair saw an increased buildup, resulting in what is known today as Naval Support Activity Bahrain.

In 2003, facilities at NSA Bahrain began expanding after Operation Iraqi Freedom began.

In 2006, a large food court, known as the "Freedom Souq" and an expanded Navy Exchange opened, expanding morale and welfare support to service members and tenant commands.

In 2010, the Navy embarked on a five-year, $580-million project to expand the base, proposing to essentially double the size of the current 62-acre facility. The first phase of construction included a new perimeter wall and security gate along with several new utility buildings. The second phase expanded the port operations with a new harbor patrol facility and included a small-craft basin. New barracks, a dining facility, a renovated recreation center and administrative buildings were also constructed. The final phase included a flyover bridge connecting NSA Bahrain to the port facility at Mina Salman.[2]

A US Navy Judge Advocate General Manual investigation found that misconduct, hazing, and harassment had occurred at the base's Military Working Dog Division in 2005 and 2006. The investigation stated that the unit, under the direction of Chief Master-at-Arms Michael Toussaint, had condoned gambling, fraternization, and socializing with prostitutes. Unit members were routinely harassed and humiliated. In spite of the investigation's findings, Toussaint was later promoted and remained in the Navy. Toussaint's successor in the unit, Master-at-Arms 1st Class Jennifer Valdivia, committed suicide after being informed of the report's findings. [3]

The Navy announced on October 21, 2009 that Toussaint had been removed from his current leadership assignment and placed in a temporary deck duty position. His request to extend his current enlistment was denied and a mandatory retirement date was set for January 2010. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus issued a “Secretarial letter of censure” on Toussaint, which was placed in the sailor’s permanent military file. Mabus stated that he would be reviewing Toussaint's retirement pay-grade determination. A Navy spokesman stated that this meant that a decision would be made as to whether Toussaint would be allowed to keep his rank and retirement pay.[4][5]

In 2010 a retirement board voted unanimously to allow Toussaint to retire as a Senior Chief. In 2011 Toussaint was awarded the Silver Star for actions in Afghanistan in 2009, and subsequently retired. [6]